Master of Cocktails – Bloody Mary

This week we’re making a classic drink on #MasterofCocktails – a Bloody Mary. We’ll get through this, and then I’ll explain what you should have made instead. Clear? Good.

Now for me, when it comes to Bloody Marys, it’s all about seasoning. Hence the (frankly ridiculous) list of ingredients.

What we’re after is something to compliment the umami-rich flavour of tomato juice and work with the spice of the Worcestershire sauce. These are really the two key ingredients in this drink, and we’re aiming to add to them.

Why Crystal Head you ask? It comes in a decanter shaped like a bastard skull. Do you need more?

Oh, you do? Well it’s fronted by Dan Akroyd from off of Ghostbusters. There.

More you say? Well… There isn’t any. It’s Vodka. it’s designed to taste neutral, and has to be distilled to over 96% by law (which removes pretty much any pretence of flavour). Vodka’s vodka, pretty much.

So – tip the neutral alcohol in, and give it all a bit of a stir. Don’t be put off by the oil.

Once you’re satisfied that everything that was going to dissolve has, bung in a shedload of ice.

Now take a segment of Lemon, squeeze it over the ice and drop into the glass.

Top up with Tomato Juice (probably about 200ml?) and stir.

Now get yourself a nice leafy bit of Celery from the middle of the bunch.

Stuff it into the glass. This is a garnish, but the aroma is important. Hence the leaves.

The last thing to do is layer a float of Palo Cortado Sherry on top. We’re after a defined layer.

All that time effort and care we took selecting delicious flavour-packed ingredients, and we go and use a neutral spirit? Madness. Absolute madness. Only a damned fool would use anything other than gin.

The name of a Bloody Mary made with gin is a ‘Red Snapper’. Write that down in your copy books now.

In fact, better still, get yourself a DYMO, and start sabotaging bar menus:

I’ve just popped a slug of St. George Spirits fantastic Terroir Gin into the top of this and it’s been transformed. The bay leaf notes work so well and adds another whole dimension to it.

That’s all for this week folks, next time on #MasterofCocktails we’ll be indulging in a little cocktail porn…